Feed aggregator
New landform discovered from the depths of Finnish forest
Scientists have been familiar with Finnish landforms for decades. Now, however, researchers have discovered a new landform previously unknown to science with the aid of laser technology. After the initial discovery in Finland, similar forms have also been found in Sweden.
Warming Arctic climate constrains life in cold-adapted mammals
A new study has uncovered previously unknown effects of rain-on-snow events, winter precipitation and ice tidal surges on the muskoxen.
Release of ancient methane due to changing climate kept in check by ocean waters
Ocean sediments are a massive storehouse for the potent greenhouse gas methane. But methane only acts as a greenhouse gas if and when it reaches the atmosphere. Environmental scientists recently set out to discover whether or not this ancient-sourced methane, which is released due to warming ocean waters, survives the journey from the seafloor and reaches the atmosphere.
New light on the mysterious origin of Bornean elephants
How did Borneo get its elephant? This could be just another of Rudyard Kipling's just so stories. The Bornean elephant is a subspecies of Asian Elephants that only exist in a small region of Borneo. Their presence on this southeastern Asian island has been a mystery. Scientists have discovered that elephants might have arrived on Borneo at a time of the last land bridge between the Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia.
Weather anomalies accelerate the melting of sea ice
Researchers reveal why Arctic sea ice began to melt in the middle of winter two years ago -- and that the increased melting of ice in summer is linked to recurring periods of fair weather.
Scientists home in on a potential Anthropocene 'Golden Spike'
Scientists are reviewing the potential settings where a global reference section for the Anthropocene might be searched.
Scientists home in on a potential Anthropocene 'Golden Spike'
A new study suggests that key geological markers align towards a start for the Anthropocene somewhere between 1952 to 1955, based on signals from nuclear testing and fossil fuel burning.
Machine learning predicts new details of geothermal heat flux beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet
A new article uses machine learning for the first time to craft an improved model for understanding geothermal heat flux -- heat emanating from the Earth's interior -- below the Greenland Ice Sheet.
Combined effects of climate change and forest fires
A new study has tracked the ebb and flow of ecosystem changes over the last 10,000 years, showing patterns that could shed light on current climate change and its role in shaping the world's forests.
US rivers and streams are compromised by increasing salt loads
Human activities are exposing US rivers and streams to a cocktail of salts, with consequences for infrastructure and drinking water supplies. So reports a new study that is the first to assess the combined, long-term changes in freshwater salinity and alkalization across the country.
Strong El Niño events cause large changes in Antarctic ice shelves
A new study reveals that strong El Nino events can cause significant ice loss in some Antarctic ice shelves while the opposite may occur during strong La Nina events.
Methane hydrate dissociation off Spitsbergen not caused by climate change
For years, methane emissions from the seabed have been observed in the Arctic Ocean off Spitsbergen. The assumption that the warming of seawater by climate change is responsible for the release of methane, has not been confirmed. Research shows that post-glacial uplift is the most likely cause of methane hydrate break-down.
In Antarctic dry valleys, early signs of climate change-induced shifts in soil
In a study spanning two decades, a team of researchers found declining numbers of soil fauna, nematodes and other animal species in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, one of the world's driest and coldest deserts.
Did ancient irrigation technology travel Silk Road?
Using satellite imaging and drone reconnaissance, archaeologists have discovered an ancient irrigation system that allowed a farming community in northwestern China to raise livestock and cultivate crops in one of the world's driest desert climates.
Scientists find surprising evidence of rapid changes in the Arctic
Scientists have found surprising evidence of rapid climate change in the Arctic: In the middle of the Arctic Ocean near the North Pole, they discovered that the levels of radium-228 have almost doubled over the last decade.
Thermometer for global ocean
There's a new way to measure the average temperature of the ocean.
Researchers use 'global thermometer' to track temperature extremes, droughts
Large areas of Earth's surface are experiencing rising maximum temperatures, which affect virtually every ecosystem on the planet, including ice sheets and tropical forests that play major roles in regulating the biosphere, scientists have reported.
Arctic clouds highly sensitive to air pollution
A study by atmospheric scientists has found that the air in the Arctic is extraordinarily sensitive to air pollution, and that particulate matter may spur Arctic cloud formation. These clouds can act as a blanket, further warming an already-changing Arctic.
Cutting-edge statistics yield new insight into attributing, projecting climate change
Projecting the future of extreme weather events across the globe remains a complex task in climate research -- and one in which statisticians are increasingly playing key roles.
Algae growth reduces reflectivity, enhances Greenland ice sheet melting
New research shows algae growing on the Greenland ice sheet, the Earth's second-largest ice sheet, significantly reduce the surface reflectivity of the ice sheet's bare ice area and contribute more to its melting than dust or black carbon. The new findings could influence scientists' understanding of ice sheet melting and projections of future sea level rise, according to the study's authors.
Pages
